Search - Bruce Springsteen :: Working on a Dream (Deluxe Version with bonus DVD)

Working On A Dream - Bruce Springsteen

Wezzo | SW England | 01/27/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Optimism and Springsteen haven't gelled well in the past. "Human Touch" and "Lucky Town", the 1992 two-fer that saw Bruce waxing truly optimistic for the first time in his career, rate among the least memorable efforts of his career; they weren't bad, per se, but they lacked a certain something. (The songs were recorded without the E Street Band, which was undoubtedly a contributing factor; but above and beyond that, the arrangements and lyrics suffered from a certain sameiness and genericism that left the majority of the tracks unmemorable.)



Fans will be pleased to know that, while "Working On A Dream" (Columbia, 2009) sees Bruce once again venture into the realm of the positive, he's both a) with E Street this time and b) kept his songwriting skills on top form.



The first thing longtime Springsteen fans will notice about this album is that the focus here is firmly on the music. The album is bookended by two of his more narrative-driven songs - eight-minute epic Western "Outlaw Pete" and Golden Globe-winning movie theme "The Wrestler" - but elsewhere, it's all about the sonic experimentation, rather than storytelling. The songs here hop across a veritable plethora of genres and styles: "My Lucky Day" is a foot-stomping rocker that sounds like it was written in the "River" sessions. "Tomorrow Never Knows" is a beautiful easy-listening tune that sounds more like the '50s than anything Bruce has ever written. "Working On A Dream" is an Orbison-esque plush pop tune. "Good Eye" is what can only be described as electronic rockabilly.



This variety makes the album one of the most enjoyable listens in Bruce's history. On first listen, you've no idea what will come next: harmony-laden "This Life" segues into the cacophonous "Good Eye"; the relentless joyful "Surprise, Surprise" - possibly the Boss' poppiest tune ever - fades into the melancholy, calliope-backed "The Last Carnival", a touching track clearly dedicated to dear departed ESB member Danny Federici.



"Kingdom of Days" is one of Bruce's finest ballads of all-time: the guy from "Born to Run" is all grown up now; no longer desperate to get out of this place, he's happy to lay on "the wet grass, as autumn breeze drifts through the trees", and "count the wrinkles and the grays" of his lover beneath the covers. Bruce's maturity pervades the album: reflecting on past lovers who were "life itself, rushing over [him]"; coming to recognise that "where the river flows, tomorrow never knows".



Not everyone will enjoy every track. Many have criticised the "trite sentiment" of "Queen of the Supermarket", and the "lyrical simplicity" of "Surprise, Surprise". These may be valid criticisms, but they did not hamper my enjoyment of the album even slightly.



The deluxe version of the album comes with a 40-minute DVD that includes some footage from the studio sessions creating the album, as well as the video for "A Night With the Jersey Devil", a Halloween song Bruce released for free via his website last year."

"Time" to diversify.

K. Jervis | London, Ky United States | 01/27/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Having been indoctrinated into the fold in '84 after seeing them live for the first time (I've been to many, many shows since), I'm pretty psyched that they're playing the Superbowl. Here's my song by song synopsis of the new album, "Working on a Dream".

'Outlaw Pete'-Always a master of the epic story song, Bruce doesn't dissapoint here at all. We've been to circuses, carnivals, city streets and back alleys, front porches, and boardwalks with Bruce, but, this is the first 'old west' themed storyline I can recall. Being from Kentucky, I find it cool that Pete comes from the "Appalachian Trail". This one's a little cornball at first, with Pete robbing the bank in his diaper and all, but, that just helps set up the story. The theme of this whole album, whether intentional or not, it 'time'. Here in this song, boys and girls, the lesson is: No matter what you do, you can't escape your past. You can't run from it. Instead you must find way to deal with it before you move on because like it or not, it becomes a part of who you are forever. Great song. Ranks among his best.

'My Lucky Day'-A great upbeat rocker. Wouldn't have sounded out of place on "Born in the USA".

'Working on a Dream'-Nice song. Used on a couple of late stops on the campaign trail.

'Queen of the Supermarket'-Lyrically, this one's a departure. Seems there may be more going on at the local Kroger than milk, cereal, and meat purchases. This'll be some folks' favorite. Not mine. I haven't really 'gotten' it yet. The surprisingly blatant "F" bomb he throws at the end is an intentional surprise. I'll have to skip this one when the kiddies are present.

'What Love Can Do'-Catchy hook. Some nice guitar work. Other than the "sunny" lyrics, this wouldn't have sounded out of place on 'Magic', musically.

'This Life'-Some critics will say this one's overproduced. I disagree. If anything, more of the Beach Boys type harmonies would have been welcomed. Wait'll you here this intro. It takes the layered sound that they were shooting for on 'Girls in their Summer Clothes' to a whole other level. In fact, the music on this is so much like the Beach Boys, it ain't even funny. Great song, and something different.

'Good Eye'-Now I know why Bruce counts Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters as some of his all time favorite singers. Bruce does the Delta Blues here. He's found a place for that fuzzbox vocal that first showed up on the D&D tour for "Reason to Believe". This one's awesome, and another musical departure.

'Tomorrow Never Knows'-Steve Earle doesn't sound this much like Steve Earle anymore.

'Life Itself'-I've been playing this one over and over for the past couple of weeks now. I love the jingle jangle Byrds sound they're getting out of the guitars on the breaks. Yet another musical stretch.

'Kingdom of Days'-Another one about 'time', and it's effect on our lives. Use it wisely. This one sounds like a lot of the stuff on 'Magic' as well.

'Surprise, Surprise'-This might be my least favorite so far. Nice hook, though.

'Last Carnival'-This one had to have been written with Danny Federici in mind. If you're a long time E Street Band fan, this one'll put a lump in your throat.

'The Wrestler'-Thanks to Mickey Rourke for asking for a song for "The Wrestler". Otherwise, we might never have gotten this one. Great. Very somber. But, danged if I ain't ever seen a one legged dog making it's way down the street. Maybe two legs, or three, yeah, but, a one legged dog? I'm going to youtube now.

"WOAD", in my opinion, is yet another sonic and lyrical masterpiece from the Earth Shakin', Soul Stirrin', Tongues a Waggin', Tail's a Rockin', mighty Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. I might add that you can hear Federici all over the place on this whole album. I've loved most all of Bruce's stuff over the years, and the "Tunnel of Love" album was no exception, but, I remember when it came out, I searched frantically for any sign of "the band" in there, and it just wasn't happening for me. Little did we know back then..."

Albums like this deserve to sink in

G. Vernon | Seattle, WA USA | 01/28/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's a complex Bruce, perhaps the most complex album delivered by Bruce & the band. I'm only in my 4th listen-through and I can say that each listen produces a wealth of audio candy. It's a multi-layered, Spector-esque "Wall of Sound" that runs the gamut from dark and stark ("Kingdom of Days") to the things-aren't-quite-what-they-seem ("Queen of the Supermarket," make sure you listen carefully) to the rave up ("Good Eye," but again, that good eye is to the dark). I am reminded of "Livin' in the Future," from "Magic," which many felt to be a "Glory Days" style party song. Maybe so, but only if you ignored the lyric, about fascism and denial. Don't pay any attention to those who write this album off as Bruce's "pop" album. Simply because the Boss embraces the 60's era layered production that would make Brian Wilson proud does not mean this is "Surfin' USA." It is most simply a rich tapestry in which all instruments - including the voice of the protagonist - weave to form something far greater than their parts. Spectacular..."